Marcos vows to provide assets for Bicol rescue, response measures

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. has vowed to provide assets, particularly rubber boats, for the rescue and response measures in the Bicol Region.

Palace reporters asked the President on the request of former Vice President Leni Robredo as regards the deployment of rubber boats in the region, particularly in Naga City.

''Yeah, as soon as we can get in. As soon as makapasok kami [we can enter], we will be doing that. And we are now beginning to marshal our assets, like for example, rubber boats. Hanggang Mindanao kukunin na muna namin at dadalhin namin dito sa area ng pangangailangan [From Mindanao, we will be getting it and bring it to the areas needing it],'' Marcos said in an ambush interview on Wednesday.

''We just got that report from CamSur that half of the province is under water because they live in the basin within Albay and CamSur. Kaya’t iyon ang talagang tinamaan. Tinatamaan lagi ng baha [That's why it was hit by floods],'' he added.

Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Juanito Victor ''Jonvic'' Remulla Jr. said at least 300 barangays in Naga City were submerged in flood waters due to Tropical Storm Kristine.

''I just got a call from Congressman L-Ray. Out of 600 barangays in Naga, 300 are fully submerged. Thousand fully submerged. Unpassable by cars and they will --- they are urgently needed rubber boats and six by six trucks to evacuate people. And it’s just beginning,'' Remulla said during a situational briefing with Marcos in Camp Aguinaldo.

Fatalities

Three people were reported dead in the Bicol Region due to the impact of Kristine, according to the Police Regional Office 5 (PRO5).

Bicol regional police chief Police Brigadier General Andre Perez Dizon told reporters about the development, adding that one person was missing and six others were injured as of 6 a.m.

Authorities said a total of 382,302 individuals or 77,910 families have been affected by Kristine in Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and Zamboanga Peninsula.

Of the affected population, 12,334 people or 3,095 families were staying in evacuation centers while 364 people or 96 families were taking shelter in other places. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News